Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 13 March 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

Suicide in Ireland: Discussion

11:00 am

Photo of Catherine ByrneCatherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I thank Senator Gilroy for the report he compiled which is very interesting. I am conscious there might be people watching these proceedings on television at home and I want to assure them that although we are talking about suicide and statistics we know we are talking about their loved ones and that they are not statistics. I want to make that point because it strikes me when we are discussing a subject such as this one and the proceedings are broadcast to the public that sometimes it might appear that we are insensitive to the subject we are discussing, but this is a very important issue. I want to assure people that we are all very conscious of that fact that somebody could be watching these proceedings who has lost somebody through suicide or as a result of a tragic death.

It is hard to single out one of the contributors as one could sit in awe of them all listening to what they had to say but I wish to refer to one of them, the coroner, Dr. Myra Cullinane. If is very difficult for any family to go to an inquest in the Coroner's Court. It takes a great deal of courage. Many people go because they want to find some answers and closure. Dr. Cullinane explained the process very well and the sincerity that is shown at the time of the inquest in having regard to people's feelings about their loved one who has passed away. I compliment Dr. Cullinane on that. When we think of coroners, we thinks of other things but we do not realise that coroners have a very a particular and sensitive job to do and they need to be able to deal with people who are sitting in the room at the time. I attended an inquest and I felt that it was dealt with very well and I left with a sense of comfort that the person who was being spoken about was very important to them. When the inquest is over, unfortunately, sometimes there are no answers for the coroner or for the family. In a moment of darkness a person can take his or her life who, as a member of a family, would never have dreamt of doing so previously. That is an important point to make.

I note from the report, and also from Dr. Steve MacFeely's comments on statistics, that it deals with the last 12 years. Are there figures for the period prior to that covering the last 30 years?

I grew up in a society where religion was very important. We lived in a very religious society where people had deep religious beliefs. There was less money and probably less drink consumed, particularly at home. I do not remember there being alcohol in my home - only at Christmas, when a few bits and pieces were brought in for visitors. There were no drugs, in the sense of illicit drugs that are prevalent now, at that time. I know from having teenage children that drinking plays a big part in their social outlook when they go out. I am always conscious of guiding them when they go out to be careful of what they drink because it completely changes a person's mood. I am not a drinker but I know that is the case.

I have two questions. The contributors probably cannot answer this question but I would highlight the impact religion had on people's lives in the past. I am conscious of that in today's world where views around religion have changed. Do the contributors believe that enough is being done in our schools to identify young people with difficulties given that this report shows a major increase from the age 15 to 24 in the number of young males - and females presumably - taking their lives? Teachers do their best but I often think that we need to be more proactive in this respect, particularly during students' college years when they are thinking of many things and their lives are changing around them. Is enough being done in that respect? One of the contributors might provide some insight on this aspect.

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